Comments on: CubeSats With A View Require NOAA Licensing

By: Library: A Round-up of Reading | Res Communis

Library: A Round-up of Reading | Res Communis — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:56:31 +0000

[...] Law CubeSats With A View Require NOAA Licensing – [...]

By: Andrew Rush

Andrew Rush — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 16:56:06 +0000

That’s definitely a good topic to write about! Thanks! There is a fair amount of writing on the subject, but much of it is written from a “lawyers-educating-lawyers” standpoint. I’ll add it to my list of topics to blog about and give you a shout when its going up!

Similarly, it can be important from an individual’s standpoint to identify the IP you have developed because many employment agreements require you to assign your IP rights to your employer but also contain carve out clauses where you can identify inventions or trade secrets that you own and are not willing to automatically assign to your employer.

By: Ben Brockert (@wikkit)

Ben Brockert (@wikkit) — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 03:06:48 +0000

There’s certainly plenty of political commentary in the space world, so I think you’re doing the world a service by not being yet another one.

I don’t know if it’s a topic you’d be interested in, but I’d really like to read a well-sourced essay on the value of patents to startup companies. But not just the value of protected and licensable IP, but their value in the dialog between founders and potential investors.

I have rocket-related innovations that are currently kept as trade secrets, because I know it would be very improbable to license them to anyone (due to the strong streak of “not invented here” present in the field). But I’ve heard more than once that having patents is valuable when talking to investors as a way to demonstrate that you’re not just a name. What I haven’t seen is a supported case that it’s sufficiently valuable to be worth the patent hassle, or in what kinds of cases it has a positive ROI.

By: Andrew Rush

Andrew Rush — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 14:04:52 +0000

Hi Ben! I hope things are going well for you! I try to write from an entertaining and educational standpoint and save the political-oriented space commentary for others. I want to give people like you the tools (or at least the outlines) to proactively address the legal aspects of our industry because that’s what I’m familiar with.
There are certainly aspects of the law and the government that annoy me. For example, its extremely frustrating to me that it takes the patent office more than a year to even look at an application that I just filed.
On the other hand, I know people that work for agencies like NOAA and the patent office and they’re good, hardworking people, so Im less apt to speak ill of them–that wouldn’t be good for my friendships and it might negatively impact the clients I represent before those agencies!
Thanks for reading, Ben. I’m glad that my blog is one of the ones you read

By: Ben Brockert (@wikkit)

Ben Brockert (@wikkit) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 20:56:55 +0000

Your blog has the most pro-government, pro-bureaucracy viewpoint of any I read. It’s a fascinating look into your world, thanks for sharing.

By: Andrew Rush

Andrew Rush — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:47:32 +0000

Hi Stephen! Thanks! You’re right, launch requires a Ton of paperwork! In doing research for this article, I was surprised at how willing NOAA is to help in the paperwork process, though!

By: Stephen Murphey

Stephen Murphey — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:34:11 +0000

Great article, I think people under estimate how much paperwork is actually required to launch any kind of spacecraft. I was talking with Dr. Twiggs last week (Godfather of Cubesats) and he mentioned if you’re spacecraft doesn’t have a camera…you still need to inform NOAA. So either way, you’ll be filling out paperwork. Go figure.